Cost of Driving in Montana - True Driving Cost

Key Findings

Driving in Montana costs an estimated $1,309 per year in fuel, ranking #13 among all states.
The average driver in Montana travels 12,788 miles per year, 1,461 miles above the national average.
Regular gasoline averages $2.662/gal (EIA Rocky Mountain PADD regional average), with a combined state and federal gas tax of 51.6 cents/gal.
An EV driver in Montana would pay roughly $491/year for electricity, saving about 62% compared to gasoline.

Contents

Quick Facts
Gas Prices
Gas Taxes
Miles Driven
Annual Fuel Cost
Commuting
EV Comparison
Neighboring States
Data Sources

01 Quick Facts

Metric	Value	National Avg
Annual fuel cost (26 MPG fleet avg)	$1,309	$1,280
Regular gas price	$2.662/gal	$2.937/gal
Combined gas tax (state + federal)	51.6¢/gal	—
Miles driven per capita	12,788	11,327
Electricity rate (residential)	12.7¢/kWh	16.5¢/kWh
Driving cost rank	#13 of 51	—

FHWA PS-1 (2024), EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026), FHWA MF-121T (2022), EIA Form 861 (2024)

02 Gas Prices

Regular gasoline in Montana averages $2.662 per gallon (EIA Rocky Mountain PADD regional average), which is $0.27 below the national average of $2.937. Montana ranks #41 among states for gas prices (1 = most expensive).

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, February 2026

03 Gas Taxes

Montana charges a state gasoline excise tax of 33.2 cents per gallon. Combined with the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, drivers in Montana pay a total of 51.6 cents per gallon in fuel taxes. This ranks #13 among all states (1 = highest tax).

FHWA, Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates

At 12,788 miles per year and 26 MPG, the average driver in Montana pays roughly $254 in combined gas taxes annually.

Tax Component	Rate
State gasoline tax	33.2¢/gal
Federal gasoline tax	18.4¢/gal
Combined total	51.6¢/gal
Annual tax burden (at 12,788 mi, 26 MPG)	$254

FHWA MF-121T (2022); 26 U.S.C. §4081 (federal excise tax rate)

04 Miles Driven

The average driver in Montana travels 12,788 miles per year, ranking #9 among all states (1 = most miles). This is 1,461 miles above the national average of 11,327.

FHWA, Table PS-1: Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024

Montana has a total of 13.9 billion vehicle-miles traveled annually across all road types, with a population of 1,084,225 (53% urban).

FHWA PS-1, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census

05 Annual Fuel Cost

Based on Montana's average gas price and miles driven, here is the estimated annual fuel cost by vehicle type:

Vehicle Type	MPG	Annual Fuel Cost
Compact sedan	33	$1,032
Midsize SUV	26	$1,309
Pickup truck	20	$1,702

Calculated: VMT per capita ({s['vmt_per_capita']:,} mi) ÷ MPG × gas price (${s['gas_price']:.3f}/gal). MPG estimates from EPA Automotive Trends Report, 2023.

Estimate your vehicle's fuel cost using EPA data.

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06 Commuting

The average commute in Montana takes 20.2 minutes one way. About 72.5% of workers drive alone to work and 11.3% work from home.

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023

Commute Metric	Value
Mean travel time to work	20.2 min
Drove alone to work	72.5%
Public transit	0.6%
Worked from home	11.3%

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023

07 EV Comparison

The average residential electricity rate in Montana is 12.7 cents per kWh, which ranks #41 among states (1 = most expensive). At an average EV efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh, driving on electricity in Montana costs roughly $0.038 per mile compared to $0.102 per mile for gasoline.

EIA Form 861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024; EPA average EV efficiency ~3.3 mi/kWh

Metric	Gasoline	Electric
Cost per mile	$0.102	$0.038
Annual fuel/energy cost (12,788 mi)	$1,309	$491
Annual savings with EV	$818 (62%)

EIA Form 861 (2024); EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026); EPA Fuel Economy Guide

08 Neighboring States

Here is how Montana's driving costs compare to neighboring states:

State	Gas Price	VMT/Capita	Annual Cost
Montana	$2.662	12,788	$1,309
North Dakota	$2.675	12,874	$1,325
South Dakota	$2.675	11,786	$1,213
Wyoming	$2.662	16,849	$1,725
Idaho	$2.662	10,900	$1,116

09 Data Sources

Federal Highway Administration: Table PS-1, Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024. fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration: Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates. fhwa.dot.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices by State/Region, February 2026. eia.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024. eia.gov
U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023. data.census.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Automotive Trends Report, 2023. epa.gov

Disclaimer. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data is sourced from U.S. government agencies as cited. Gasoline prices change frequently and vary by station, grade, and payment method. Gas tax rates reflect FHWA 2022 data and may have been adjusted since publication. Annual cost estimates use the formula: VMT ÷ MPG × Price per Gallon.